Does anyone have experience with Palliative Care?

@philipsnowdon I wish I could rate that response 1,000%. Glad you still have meds.

My mother finally was able to get morphine (sublingual) when she went on hospice services. I am glad to hear your palliative care team sees the need.

Is there any reason the primary care provider can’t provide palliative care?

I think palliative care is a specialty, particularly in terms of pain control and other kinds of support. Can you say a bit more about why you are asking? Have you or someone else been referred to palliative care recently?

I’m inquiring this due to my Dad. He’s 87 and has multiple conditions that are now significantly effecting his daily life. He’s at home now, but…not sure how long that will be feasible. His mobility is very limited. He has cardiomyopathy, which has resulted in CHF, an aortic aneurysm, multiple PVCs, CKD, hypothyroidism, Alz, and more. He says he is exhausted. We wish to explore the options to keep him comfortable. I was hoping his existing primary could do that, since he’s seen him for many years and their office is open 7 days a week.

Finding a good geriatric doctor will help. They can put a person in touch with palliative teams, and at least know how to help a person. It helps if you live in a big city, or near one.

Hello @ashby1947 My husband has supportive/palliative care. He didn't always and our experience with supportive care is absolutely wonderful! My husband has Stage IV Lung cancer and has other issues as well (Tachycardia, dizziness issues, tremor, pain issues, etc). I have had cancer and recently lymphedema from my cancer surgery and hospitalization with sepsis. I am my husbands sole caregiver as well as taking care of my Mom and Mother In Law, who don't live with us but have multiple needs and medical issues as well that my husband and I take care of for them. At one point my husband's cancer was called, 'cancer of unknown primary'....the doctors didn't know the actual type of cancer (we now have a diagnosis guess at least). My husband takes about 12 different drugs, is having chemo and immunotherapy and radiation treatments. I'm still working. Because there were so many doctors and concerns it was overwhelming for me to manage all the drugs, know which doctors to call for what, etc. We were running from appointment to appointment and I was trying to manage it all and make decisions about what might be causing his symptoms. Although I think I do a pretty great job (ha ha) one doctor prescribed an increase in dose of one of my husbands meds which caused him to become highly erratic and I 'lost' it with our oncologist (who is a great doctor). I was expected to manage a complicated situation and although I spent a lot of time on the phone with docs and reading and researching - the oncologist got us supportive care and it's been a real blessing. Now I have one doctor to call about concerns and he makes the decision as to what we should do. He coordinates care with all the other disciplines and recently got my husband physical therapy for his dizziness....something I would have NO IDEA even existed. All blood work is done in our home, a nurse visits once a week and is available by phone 24/7, we have social service support and a chaplain that visit and try to help me as a caregiver to manage the workload with this. My husband has Medicare and a supplement with our insurance carrier and the costs are finally manageable for his care as well. I think when I 'snapped' it made them realize how complicated my husbands care had become and how we couldn't manage it without more support. The referral was made by our oncology team in this case. The care has to be reauthorized every six months in our case. We're on our second six months. My husband's cancer 'qualifies' him as terminal and not curable but we're still hopeful that he will have much more time than we thought 6 months ago....more like a years perhaps. If your situation is becoming too overwhelming I would certainly request supportive care because I believe it's extended my husband's life and kept me from losing my mind and health. Good luck and Hugs.............

I'm with you 100%! I bought this place in the 80's to be close to my mother who was not well. I needed tp be near her, so I bought a unit at the front of the property, a couple streets away but still close. We walked together, my dog an I walked to her place every morning for 'breakfast' and a visit, to take care of her home for her, etc. I planned on moving into a one story condo, but never was able to. make the move. Mom was ill for 12 years, I was ill, my son became disabled and so on. So,I'm still here. I'm making it work as long as possible as It's paid for, great location, just not on the water like I planned!!!! After it's reno'd, with the little 'kitchen' set up in the 3rd bedroom, I'll be fine to stay until I can't! Wish me the best as I continue to struggle to get this all done! Blessings Elizabeth